Rating: 
Summary: Five stars for those interviewed, 0 stars for Lanzmann
Review: The first time I saw this movie I came away with a disquieting feeling that if someone other than Claude Lanzmann had made Shoah, it would have been one of the great cinematic documents of our times. This is a story that desperately needed to be told, and Lanzmann's dogged efforts in making the filem should be highly commended. It is moving, thought-provoking, and at times astonishing in its impact. But that impact, for me, was spoiled by having Lanzmann, Lanzmann, Lanzmann, etc. I recently went back to view Shoah after reading Ron Rosembaum's Explaining Hitler. It was a difficult experience after learning what an egotistical, arrogant, incredibly narcissitic man Lanzmann apparently is--an individual who self-righteously eschews using archival footage in his film, but stages his own scenes. That the film succeeds in its power is a tribute to the survivors of the Shoah who are the focus of the film. If Lanzmann could be edited out of film to a great degree, this would be a five-star movie. Even as it is, no one who truly wants to understand the enormity of the Shoah should miss this viewing experience. But please remember that this is not the only Shoah story--there are other voices to be heard, other films that have been made and will be made that deserve our attention (Night and Fog, and Schindler's List, for example). We don't need to conclude, as Lanzmann does, that after his film, the issue is closed.
Rating: 
Summary: The Best Documentary about the Holocaust
Review: This first aired on PBS sometime in the early to mid eighties. I was in my first couple of years of college at the time. As many of you can relate, I had lots of fun in school (especially after classes)and didn't watch much TV. For whatever reason I was at home when the first installment aired and I was hooked. Being in college, I wasn't too much of a history buff and knew little about the Holocaust. I would come home early from parties just to get to see the next installment. Since that time I have always wanted to see the documentary again and now can say I have bought it and will watch it (this time with my wife) soon.
I had the opportunity to visit Munich some time back and didn't miss the chance to visit Dachau. Wow! What an experience... one that I shall never forget. I think watching the show this time will mean so much more than before. Make sure you get lots of Kleenex before you sit down to watch a segment.
Rating:
Summary: MUST SEE!
Review: This is essentially the best movie I have seen on the Holocaust! It is necessary that everyone possible see this movie due to the Inevitable fact that these type of things will occur again, and at a Greater scale. We cannot avoid it, but it will be possible to react in the appropriate manner, as human beings, to circumstances so inhuman. Lanzmann's film is a insight to how low the human mind can go, but at the same time we can individually receive a lesson from it all! Its worth the money, PLEASE.....IT IS A MUST SEE!
Rating: 
Summary: Bearing Witness To History
Review: Watching the 9.5 hour documentary Shoah one goes through a plethora or emotions: sadness, anger and finally triumph. Shoah is living history one that we will no likely to be able to repeat as time goes on. Claude Lanzmann gives us a history of the Holocaust from the point of view of the participants. The survivors, the guards, the townspeople who witnessed the Final Solution firsthand. The thing that makes the film amazing is that we do not see the grisly images that were so prevalent in films like Renais Night and Fog. We simply hear voices and see faces. The interview technique is what makes this film so important. We are forced to look into these people's faces as they tell their stories. And they do have important stories to tell. Also we literally visit the places of destruction as they are now. We see green meadows that were once killing grounds like Sobibor or Chelmno. We see the village of Grabow now reduced of its Jewish population; we bear witness to the railside horrors of Treblinka, and the haunting desolation that was and is Auschwitz. The startling thing is that the people of the film have been able to rebuild their lives and go on. This is the triumph of the film. We hear horrible things to be sure but these people are true survivors. The DVD does not offer many extras, but then not many are needed. The end result is a sort of numb silence and this prevades the viewing. The transfer could have been a little clearer but I feel that this was more of a flaw in the source footage than a problem in the DVD creation. The only real problem with my set was on the fourth disc where there were numerous sound fall outs. All in all Shoah is not an easy film to watch. It takes patience and careful listening if one is to truly understand but it should be regarded as essential viewing for any would be student of history.
Rating:
Summary: Tremendous
Review: [...] One of the great and moving aspects of this film is that it has NO footage from the Holocaust - no grizzly emaciated faces, no burned or rotting bodies, no marching Nazis, no shooting, no war...only a relentless, spellbinding and enlightening parade of interviews with the victims, perpetrators and spectators of the events: all contemporary to the making of the film. In this film when we see the camps, we see them as they are NOW; when we meet the pro/antagonists they are (only!) real people in wool and polyester. The real horror of this film is when you realize that any of these people (good, bad or indifferent) could have been your father, mother, uncle, aunt or cousin. A truly magnificent work of Art.
Rating: 
Summary: Glorified, but Contrary to Historical Facts
Review: [In my opinion] despite all the hype surrounding it, the film and book distort [what I believe to be] essential historical facts. For instance, Polish soldiers are shown shooting at Jews. This never happened. In fact, there were far more western-European collaborators serving the German Nazis than eastern Europeans. Nor were the Jewish ghettoes guarded by Polish collaborators. They were in fact guarded by Jewish collaborators--the Judenrate and Jewish police. It was the latter who played the major role in preventing Jewish escapes and even murdering those Jews who tried to escape. Much, much more could be said about this slanted piece of work.
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